The TCM Classic Film Festival descended upon Hollywood again this year March 26 – 29. I had the privilege of attending for the 6th year in a row. The central theme of this year’s festival was History According to Hollywood. Movies like The Sound of Music, Patton, Apollo 13, and Malcolm X were screened throughout the four day event. The line-up of classic films did not disappoint.
Friday afternoon brought the highlight of the festival for Disney fans. Pinocchio screened at the Walt Disney Studio’s premiere cinema, the legendary El Capitan Theatre. Walt Disney’s second feature-length animated film has never looked better with a glorious restoration projected on a giant screen as it was originally intended to be seen.
The film was introduced by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg of Moonbot Studios. The two directors clearly have a huge appreciation for Pinocchio calling it “the greatest animated film of all time.” They shared some interesting tidbits before the screening. Check out the audio of their introduction here: AUDIO: Introduction of Pinnochio by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg of Moonbot Studios
The festival also screened “So Dear to my Heart” without any fan fair or introduction. The Disney element was lighter this year than previous years at the TCM Classic Film Festival. This is rather surprising since Disney recently announced a partnership with TCM — TCM will be sponsoring updates to The Great Movie Ride at Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando. When I asked someone in the press room about this, they had no idea what I was talking about. Not an official statement of course, but it does give some indication about how involved TCM is in the process. Very little, I’d say.
At the end of the festival, Ben Mankiewicz, on-camera host for TCM, announced that there would indeed be a 2016 TCM Classic Film Festival. I’m already anticipating the total immersion into classic cinema next year! Check out filmfestival.tcm.com for more information on this year’s festival and for news about next year.
